Conventional Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is produced by gas flushing barrier packages with a mixture of Gases including CO2. This requires capital investment in equipment, special packaging materials, and the gas. The ability to packaging material or film to self generate an efficacious amount of carbon dioxide upon activation would eliminate some of these costs but still deliver the benefits of CO2 in perishable product preservation.
Therefore, a principle object of the invention is to provide active packaging materials that generate CO2 on conventional plastics processing equipment.
Another object of the invention is to provide active packaging materials that generate CO2 on conventional plastics processing equipment, where the carboxylic acid and hydrogen carbonate components are compounded into separate polymer matrixes, and later combined.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.